


Three's A Company

by whcalmwaves



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-19
Packaged: 2018-09-14 12:38:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9182185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whcalmwaves/pseuds/whcalmwaves
Summary: Mark had been eagerly anticipating the long awaited bike tour with Fernando over the summer vacation. When he unwittingly invited an addition to the party for two, little did he expect his carefully laid plans to go awry.





	1. A Perfect Summer Vacation For Two (Plus One)

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this on and off for the last half year or so, and finally got to finish it over the Christmas/New Year break. I hope you will like it. This is my little story about a pair of best teammates and their best buddy. All imagined and just for fun.

It was a perfect summer’s day, Mark smiled as he felt the warmth of the sunshine on his face. He was enjoying the beautiful weather on his bike, riding the familiar tracks near his country home. This would be the last ride on these tracks before his trip to France. A trip that he had long planned for and anticipated. Something that he wished he was able to do since quite a few years ago, but never had the opportunity until now. A bicycle tour of Provence, the southeastern part of France, which promised breathtaking scenery, challenging bike trails, as well as wonderful culture with amazing food and wines. All these are reasons for his keen anticipation of the coming trip, but in all honesty, Mark knew that the real reason for his excitement was the company that he would have on this trip.

It was not easy arranging it, even though both the Australian and his would be tour mate had talked for years about going together on a bike trip to the south of France. Given their respective busy schedules, Mark had at one point even given up hope that it would ever materialise. However, as fate would have it, a very difficult start to the season for his travel companion had prompted him to broach the subject to Mark again, saying that a nice bike tour during the summer season intermission would gave him something to look forward to. The Australian readily agreed, for he was only too keen to have such an opportunity to finally be able to explore the beauty of southern France on a bike, in the company of his best mate, or Nano, as Mark usually called him in secret when thinking of him (which was often enough). Things improved somewhat for Fernando as his season went on, but still the plan for the bike tour remained and it was something to look forward to for both of them.

They did not get to see each other very often, but they managed to plan their trip via phone calls, text, as well as emails, and before long, everything was put in place. Mark, however, was feeling the nerves to finally have his Nano with him, for the whole of two weeks. This was indeed something that he had hoped for so long, and he could not quite believe that it was really coming true. He had hopes that this trip would be the catalyst that could finally bring them together, after years of seemingly flirting and skirting around the thin, intangible threads of their relationship. 

Mark was exceedingly excited and imagined all the scenarios between the two of them, longing for the best. However, with the excitement, he was also anxious and afraid. What if Nano found it boring to be with him for the whole of two weeks? What if they could not find many things to talk about, and could only make awkward conversations? He knew that it was unlikely, since Fernando always seemed so happy to see him, and they always had endless topics of conversation whenever they meet. Still, the most worrying question remained, what if Nano didn’t really like him all that much? Whenever Mark thought of this possibility, he felt his stomach lurched and hoped with all his being that this would not be the case.

At Silverstone, when he met up with Fernando who was sitting together with his teammate Jenson in the motorhome, the topic of the bike tour was mentioned. The Brit seemed very interested in the trip and at the spur of the moment, Mark said that Jenson was welcomed to join them if he wished. He was not expecting him to accept, since Jenson stayed in the region and would probably have gone on such trips before, but he did, saying that it would be a novel experience taking a bike tour with his two best mates. Mark was left with a mixed feeling on this. He was disappointed that his private tour with Nano would now have a third party, but at the same time, he felt relief that Jenson would join them. The presence of the Brit would ensure that there would not be a dull moment and perhaps the more relaxed atmosphere might help his own cause.

It was thus that they made the necessary changes to their plans and bookings. Soon summer arrived with Mark enjoying the outdoors before heading to the airport later that afternoon. They would each travel separately to the Marseille airport, and meet at the hotel where they were staying. From there, they would start with exploring the sights and cycling trails around the area for a few days, and then move on to the next location to further their tour. 

The start of this much anticipated trip did not go that smoothly for Mark as his flight was delayed by a couple of hours. By the time he reached the hotel, Jenson and Fernando had already arrived. At the check-in, he was passed the message that his friends were waiting for him at the hotel pool. Mark dropped off his luggage in his room and proceeded directly to the pool to look for them. From afar, he spotted Jenson lying on the deck chair, enjoying the evening summer sunshine. As he approached, he saw someone swimming in the pool. The glow of the late evening sun glistened off the muscular, tanned back of the familiar athletic figure, making Mark stopped in his tracks to admire the sight.

“Hey, Mark! You’ve finally arrived. Over here!” Jenson’s voice sounded to snap him out of his diversion. He promptly turned and headed towards the Brit.

“Hi, mate! Yeah, glad to finally get here after the flight delay. Looks like you guys are already having a good time chilling.”

“Of course! We couldn’t wait to start our vacation, although my buddy there is still working pretty hard. But it gives us an awesome scenery, eh?” Jenson wagged his eyebrows as he gave Mark a cheeky look.

The Australian merely rolled his eyes at him. Before long, he was greeted with a cheery “Hola, Mark!” from Fernando, who climbed out of the pool as soon as he noticed the Australian, and walked quickly towards him and Jenson with a brilliant smile.

"Hi, Fernando! Good to see you.” He immediately noticed that the Spaniard had shaved off his by now trademark beard and trimmed his long curly hair, looking fresh faced and boyishly handsome. He was surprised by this change, but liked it all the same, as he was reminded of the youthful looks of his friend before he decided to hide it behind a big beard and at times shaggy hair.

“Spotting a new look, eh? You look great!” Mark couldn’t resist saying it, and was pleased to see Fernando smiling happily in response.

“Yeah, now he looks ten years younger, doesn’t he?” Jenson teased, “ Such a neat and tidy look, an absolute McLaren role model! But how are you going to irritate Ron now with your beard gone and hair trimmed?” 

Fernando shook his head and replied laughingly, “Don't worry, my hair and beard grow real quick and I will be back to my usual handsome self before the end of summer.”

Jokes aside, all three were very excited about the next two weeks and started to talk enthusiastically about the plans for this bike tour. As the sun set, they returned to their rooms to change after arranging to meet later for dinner. They went to a nearby restaurant for dinner, which served wonderful local cuisine with fresh produce of the season, and all three of them thoroughly enjoyed the food.

Throughout dinner, they had a lively conversation going on, updating each other on what they had been doing lately, and sharing jokes and gossip. Jenson and Fernando especially had many common things to talk about, which Mark thought was perfectly understandable given they are teammates, although he sometimes felt a little left out as he could not really get some of the jokes about what was happening within their team.

As the evening went on, the two teammates were still happily talking about the first half of the season that they had. Mark loved listening to them, but at the same time, he wished he could join in the conversation a bit more. He also couldn't help but notice that Jenson seemed to have moved closer to Fernando, so much so that their shoulders were practically brushing against each other and arms were almost touching. He felt a tinge of jealousy but immediately dismissed it, telling himself that they were close because they were teammates who had gone through so much together in the past one and half years. Surely it was nice to see such camaraderie between them, he told himself. Still, he couldn’t quite suppress the thought that perhaps he was the “plus one” in this group, and felt somewhat annoyed with himself for thinking thus, since he was the one who invited Jenson in the first place.

“Stop being such an arse!” He thought to himself.

The two teammates stopped in their conversation and stared at him. 

“Who’s being an arse?” Jenson asked curiously.

Mark face was flushed as he realised that he had actually articulated his thoughts, and fumbled to find an excuse. “Ah, no, I was saying the people around here are getting sparse!”

“Right…” Jenson did not look convinced. 

“Yeah, Mark is right, it’s getting late,” Fernando piped in, saving Mark from the awkwardness. “I think we should get back to the hotel. We have to wake up early for our first day of biking!” 

They all agreed and paid for the bill before returning to the hotel. As Mark laid on his bed in his hotel room, he thought about what happened during dinner, and told himself that he was being overly sensitive. It was great to have Jenson with them, everything would turn out well, and he was resolved to enjoy their bike tour starting from tomorrow.


	2. An Unexpected Confession

The next day dawned bright and cheery. The plan for the day was warm-up rides exploring the nearby sights. The summer weather was excellent with clear skies and warm sunshine. Riding through a few charming old villages and nearby vineyards, they had a thoroughly enjoyable time and even managed to do some wine tasting as they stopped by for lunch at one of the vineyards. 

After lunch, they rode through a field full of blooming lavenders. It was a beautiful sight to behold, and the fragrance from the lavenders was pleasant and calming. The trio decided to stop to admire this scenery. They dismounted from their bikes and walked through the rows upon rows of lavender bushes. Fernando whipped out his phone to take pictures of the flowers. 

“Hey buddy, let’s take some photos of us with these gorgeous lavenders.” Jenson suggested. 

He gathered his companions and they tried to position themselves such that they would all fit into the frame with the lavender field still visible behind them. Fernando was standing the middle, with his arms out-stretched to capture the photo when Jenson interrupted.

“Wait a minute, I want to swap positions!” Jenson pulled Fernando aside as he slotted in between the other two guys, who were rather puzzled by his actions.

“Does it matter?” Mark asked.

“Well, yeah, of course! You remember the last time the three of us took a selfie?” Jenson asked.

After some recollection, Mark remembered, “At Abu Dhabi last year?”

“Yep! And you were in the middle with Fernando next to you and me on the other side.” 

“Right, and so?” 

“So then, I later discovered that position was too convenient for me to be cut out! You know, that photo was so popular on social media but in most of them, it was just you and Fernando, with me chopped off! It's so unfair!” Jenson was almost pouting as he complained about the perceived injustice that he had suffered on social media.

Fernando and Mark burst out laughing, both feeling quite incredulous that the Brit would mind something like this, but since their friend seemed so insistent, they went along with it. Finally satisfied with their positions, Jenson took his own phone out and again the three of them smiled into the camera to have their selfie captured.

“Photo looks great! Let me put this on my Instagram!” Jenson said excitedly.

“Hey, let us see the photo!” Fernando reached out for his teammate’s phone.

“I’ll send it to you both, but you can see it on my Instagram now.” He showed them his Instagram, the photo with three of them smiling brightly before the lavender field was captioned, “Bike ride with my best mates”. The photo had just been posted but it had already gathered a substantial number of likes.

Mark, however, could not help but noticed that Jenson was standing with his arm wrapped around Fernando’s shoulders, while he himself stood slightly apart on the left, looking rather like a third wheel in the photo. 

“Great, now I’m in that position to be chopped off from the photo!” Mark thought to himself, a little surprised at how sour he felt at such a small thing. 

His companions didn't notice anything amiss with him though, as they all mounted their bikes to continue with their ride.

The day again ended with them having dinner at the same restaurant that they were at the previous night. The food was excellent and they had a easy conversation flowing, talking about their ride during the day. The conversation then turned to something between Jenson and Fernando as they started talking about some promotion videos that they had filmed together entitled Endless Roadtrips that featured them driving along backdrops of the many different countries that they raced at. They were laughing merrily at jokes about what happened during the filming and at one point began to speak in really bad American accents. Fernando laughed so hard that he buried his head on his teammate’s shoulders, his whole body shaking with laughter, while Jenson’s arms wrapped around him, holding him close and sharing in the joke.

In normal circumstances, Mark would find it funny and share in the mirth. However, at that moment, he felt sadly left out, and if he was honest with himself, rather jealous, to see how close Fernando was with his teammate. When they finally finished with dinner, Mark could only feel relief that the evening was over. 

Back at the hotel, he was about to change for bed when he heard a knock on his door. Secretly hoping that it was Fernando, he opened the door, but to his surprise, it was Jenson, standing there looking rather sheepish.

“Hey, mate. Hope you are not already sleeping?”

"No, not yet. What’s up?” Mark closed the door as Jenson came in and settled on the small couch in the room.

'Er, well…” Jenson paused, looking unsure of what to say.

Mark felt quite baffled, as he looked at his friend, waiting for him to continue.

But the silence continued, as Jenson stood up and started to pace in front of him.

“Jenson, what’s up?” 

“Erm, I…I…” the usually articulate Brit was strangely tongue tied and looked rather flustered. He sat down again.

Mark felt a strange sense of foreboding, “Anything wrong?”

‘Well, no, nothing wrong. Not really anyway. I just need….” Jenson paused again.

Getting rather impatient, Mark pushed, “Need what?”

The Brit drew in a deep breath, and finally continued, “ I need your help, Mark.”

“My help? To do what?”

“You see, it’s regarding Fernando…”

Mark’s heart missed a beat on hearing the topic, his sense of foreboding intensified. 

“You know, I….” Jenson sighed, but looked resolved to continue, “ I have known Fernando for so long, right from the start of our careers. We have competed with each other for so many years, and while we got along fine, I mostly see him just as a fellow competitor.” He paused to gather his next words.

Mark nodded to encourage him to continue, anxious to hear where this was going.

“But since last year, when we became teammates, we got much closer. You know how tough things were last year and even this year, and we spent a lot of time working together. I got to know Nano so much better, and…” Jenson paused again, a smile playing on his lips.

Mark however, was surprised at hearing Jenson call the Spaniard by his nickname. He thought only an exclusive few got to call him by that name.

“Nano?” The Australian belatedly realised that he had voiced this.

"Eh? Oh, yes, Nano, we call him this in the team. It’s his nickname!” Jenson explained, thinking that he did not know.

The Australian could barely stifle his huff at this explanation, but he did and looked at Jenson to continue, all the while feeling his heart sinking.

“Right so, umm, I think Fernando is such a great guy, and I…I have really grown to like him a lot. I’m so thankful that you invited me on this trip, Mark. It gives me a chance to spend more time with him outside the usual environment and I have to say, I am enjoying it tremendously. So, I am thinking, that maybe, just maybe, I can start something with him. Do you think I stand a chance?” Jenson looked at Mark earnestly, seemingly wanting a positive opinion from his friend.

Mark did not know how to reply. He was shocked by this confession. While the two teammates had seemed to get along fabulously, especially on this trip, so much so that Mark had felt left out at times, he had really not expected this.

"Well?"

“Oh, er, I don’t know,” the Australian finally managed some words.

“Yeah, I guess we just have to find out. You will help me, won’t you?” Jenson asked the dreaded question again.

All Mark wanted to do was scream “NO!” out loud. This couldn't be happening, it was his vacation with his Nano. It was his chance. But how could he explain any of these to Jenson, given what he had just told him?

“How do you want me to help?” He finally uttered, not knowing what else to say, trying to sound calm although he was feeling anything but.

“I haven't really figured it out yet. But since you two are best mates, I just thought it’s best I ask for your help in advance.” 

“Right…” 

“So, I will let you know once I think of something,” Jenson smiled. “I’m really glad I got this off my chest and confided in you. Now that I have you on my side, I feel much better!”

Looking at the smile on his friend’s face, there was nothing else for Mark to say. He only nodded.

“Now, I think I better leave to let you catch your sleep. Don’t want you to be a grouch bag on our bike ride tomorrow with Nano. Goodnight mate!” 

Jenson stood and left. When Mark closed the door behind him, he closed his eyes and heaved a dejected sigh. Why did this have to happen? What was he supposed to do now?


	3. Endless Roadtrip

The next few days went as per their original plan, biking in the various trails in the vicinity. The rides were an excellent mix of challenge and leisure, with exquisite scenery along the way. Together with good company, it was truly something to enjoy. For Mark though, there was always that sharp thorn on his mind with Jenson’s confession. 

After the initial shock of that night, Mark had thought long and hard about what he should or could do about the situation. He thought of telling Jenson his own feelings about Fernando and his intentions. But remembering how close the two teammates seemed to have gotten, he was not sure how the Spaniard felt about him. What if he felt the same way as Jenson? Perhaps he should do them a favour and help them as Jenson requested. Or to save himself the heartache, he could come up with an excuse and leave them early. It would be so hard to see Jenson and Fernando together, and worse if he had to be the one to help bring them together. But every time he thought of leaving, he would be hit by a grave sense of misgiving, and felt that he would come to regret it. He simply could not bear to just give it all up without even trying. Despite spending his nights thinking about it, he was no closer to deciding what to do. Bogged down by such conflicting thoughts, the days of riding seemed to turn into an endless roadtrip, with Mark wondering where it would lead to at the end. 

Jenson had not approached him further on the topic, and for that he was grateful. At times when he was able to suppress his thoughts on the subject, he could still enjoy the time spent with both Fernando and Jenson, particularly with the Spaniard who looked so happy and enthusiastic about the trip . On the rides, the two teammates were often trying to compete with each other to see who could ride faster than the other. It was all in good fun of course, but being the fierce competitors that they were, they would try to out do each other as much as possible.

This particular morning had them riding along a trail leading up a hill. The incline was not particularly challenging to the three extremely fit athletics, as they cycled they could still enjoy the beautiful views of the valleys beyond. Jenson had rode on ahead while Fernando hung back to ride alongside Mark. They rode for a while in silence, Mark enjoying having the Spaniard by his side for a change. 

"It's such a beautiful day, yes?” Fernando finally broke the silence.

“Absolutely.” Mark continued riding, not saying much but relishing this rare moment with just the two of them.

“The views are wonderful,” the younger man commented again.

“Yeah, it's really gorgeous.” Mark replied, mentally referring to something or rather, someone else.

His companion slowed to a stop, and pushed his bike off the path towards the edge overlooking a lush valley just below. He stood there by his bike, admiring the scenery beyond, while the golden rays of the summer sun enveloped him in a glorious glow.

Mark was immediately attracted to this perfect picture and unbeknown to the subject, he quickly took out his phone to captured the moment. At least he would have a little memento of this trip to be treasured for himself, he thought. However, this particular line of thinking aroused in him many emotions and right then, he had the sudden urge to get all that he had been wanting to say to Fernando off his chest, to at least give it a try. But how could he, given what Jenson had told him?

“Mark, don't you want to come and see the view? It’s fantástico!” His companion’s inquiry disrupted his thoughts.

“Well, no, I think the view from here is just fine!” The Australian preferred to stay where he was, having a slightly different take of what a fine view was. 

“Eh?” The Spaniard looked at him quizzically as he pushed his bike back towards him. He stood in front of Mark and looked thoughtfully at him before letting out a little sigh. 

“Is everything ok? You are not enjoying this, no?” Fernando asked.

Mark was rather surprised at the turn in the conversation, although he was glad that his innuendos were lost on his companion. He merely shrugged and said, “I’m fine, mate. Am having a great time here!”

“Really? But you have been so quiet most of the time these few days, I just thought…” 

“Nah, it’s all good. Can’t be talking so much when riding, can we?” He said dismissively in hope of discouraging any further discussion on the topic, and quickly added, “I think we should get going. Jenson is probably going to be laughing at us for being so far behind him.”

He got on his bike and moved forward, leaving Fernando with no choice but to follow. They eventually found Jenson waiting for them at a rest point with the Brit unsurprisingly saying smugly how both of them need to catch up on their fitness and riding skills. This inevitably invited some retaliation and the three of them spent the rest of the day trying to outride the others.

After a full day of biking, they returned to the hotel. Having exhausted the trails in the area, it was time for them to move to their next location. They packed their things and loaded onto the rental car to drive to their new destination, arriving at the next hotel after dinner. Unfortunately, due to a mix up in their booking, the concierge did not have three rooms available for them. It was peak season at that time and the hotel was fully booked, with only one suite left that could be offered to them. As it was already quite late at night, they agreed to make do with the accommodation. Upon entering the suite, they found that it had two bedrooms each with a queen bed, and a small living room with a couch. The sleeping arrangement was an immediate topic of discussion.

“Guys, so two of us have to share a room. Scissors, paper, stone to decide? Last man standing gets to choose!” Jenson said, rather too enthusiastically.

“Forget it, buddy. I will take the couch. You two can have the rooms.” Mark offered.

“I don’t think you can sleep on the couch, it's too small!”Fernando protested. “I don’t mind sharing the room.”

“Actually I’m don’t mind sharing too, as long as it's not with the big Aussie. He’ll take up all the space, and will probably snore too!” Jenson joked, earning a glare from Mark.

“Ha, I think I’ve heard from the team that you sleep talk so that’s worse than snoring!” Fernando said laughingly, before adding in a pleading tone, “So Mark, I think you have to rescue me from the sleep talker, por favor?” 

There was no way Mark could say no to the pair of warm chocolate brown eyes looking beseechingly at him, so it was decided that he and Fernando would share a room. As it had been a long day for them, all three retired to their rooms shortly after. Mark felt his pulse quickened once the room door closed with just the two of them inside. He could sense some awkwardness from his roommate too.

“So, left or right?” Fernando asked.

“Huh?” Mark could not quite understand what the Spaniard was referring to.

“Er, the bed. You sleep left or right?” Fernando’s face seemed a little bit flushed, or perhaps it was the light. Mark could not decide.

"Oh, right! I mean, either left or right is fine. No preference.” 

"Ok. I think I’ll shower now, unless you want to go first?”

“No, you go ahead.”

Once the Spaniard closed the door to the bathroom, Mark buried his face in his hands. This was so much harder than he thought! What was he to do with Fernando so close to him all night? How was he to survive this night, and the nights that follow?

By the time Mark had finished his shower and got out of the bathroom after spending a much longer time then he normally would, Fernando had already fallen asleep. He was curled up on the left side of the bed on top of the covers, with his arm over an opened book, looking like he had drifted off to sleep unintentionally. Mark gently removed the book and pulled the blanket from under him, making sure he was snugly covered before gingerly climbing in, taking care not to disturb his roommate. He closed his eyes and tried his best to settle comfortably on the bed, willing himself not to look or think about who was beside him. Alas his efforts were not enough and he just could not sleep. Finally he could no longer resist the temptation and opened his eyes to look at the sleeping form next to him. His eyes adjusted to the darkness in the room and he could see that Fernando was sleeping soundly, his soft curly hair was slightly ruffled with some fallen over his eyes. With him being clean shaven, he looked so young and boyish, just like when Mark first met him. 

The Australian couldn't help himself, bringing his fingers to gently comb the unruly hair back, and tenderly traced the profile of the face that he knew so well, as he thought about all the years that had passed, from the time when they met, to them developing their friendship and becoming close friends eventually. 

Mark could not really tell at which stage he started to think of Fernando as more than a friend. His feelings just grew gradually, although he kept it strictly to himself. But if he were to pinpoint a time or period, perhaps it was during the time when the Spaniard was in utter despair over the abrupt breakup with his partner from a relationship that very few knew about. He was one of the few who knew, as his friend had confided in him, having full trust that the secret was safe with him. Even then Mark had always thought that few, if any, would suspect the relationship anyway, since it was one between two such seemingly different personalities as diverse as fire and ice. When the relationship broke, Fernando was heartbroken and there were countless times when Mark lent a patient ear to his friend and tried his best to console his friend. 

Eventually, the broken heart healed, and the Spaniard was slowly back on his feet. Through it all, their friendship grew and they became close confidants. For Mark, the feelings were more than friendship, but he knew that the timing was not right and he had to wait. Although it was never spoken of between them, he had also felt that they shared something special, with the object of his affection sharing mutual feelings as he, and it was a matter of time that they would finally come to an understanding.

Now, however, things seemed much more complicated and he was no longer sure of anything. Perhaps he should not have waited so long. Or maybe he had been mistaken all along and Fernando only thought of him as friend, nothing more. One thing was for certain though, he was not going to get much sleep tonight. He let out a soft sigh as he turned his back on his companion, trying to find the sleep that would not come.


	4. Too Little Too Late

At breakfast the next morning, Jenson remarked on how tired Mark looked as the latter downed his second cup of coffee

“Mate, you looked like you haven't slept a bit last night. Look at the bags under your eyes!”

“Yeah, you do look very tired. You couldn't sleep?” Fernando looked at him with concern.

“Aha, must be you disturbing him. Were you snoring very loudly?” Jenson teased his teammate.

“I don't snore!” The Spaniard protested before asking hesitantly, “ Do I, Mark? I hope it's not because of me that you couldn't sleep?” 

Mark thought glumly to himself that Fernando was right that he was indeed the cause of his sleeplessness, although not for the reason he surmised. He was about to reassure him that he was all right when Jenson spoke again.

“You know what, mate, I will do you a big favour and share my room with Fernando. This way you can get your sleep with no disturbance!”

"No, it's doesn’t matter, I...." Mark was about to reject the idea when he felt Jenson kicking his foot under the table. He stared at him in surprise but saw him secretly winking at him and mouthing silently “Help me!”, while Fernando looked down to stir his coffee.

At once it became clear to Mark what Jenson was up to. He had no choice but to agree to his plan. So it was that Fernando moved to share a room with his teammate starting that night.

Their vacation continued thus, with the next few days spent cycling on trails surrounding the mountainous areas. It was much more challenging and it suited Mark just fine to be able to push himself as much as possible in physical exertion, so that he would be so exhausted at night that he could at least find some sleep. Still, the fact that Fernando was sharing a room with Jenson bothered him a lot. Although he would not admit it to himself, he was certainly jealous, and also afraid, that he would soon see the two of them as a pair. 

This particular day had started early, as they tackled a challenging mountain route. Mark rode ahead of the other two as he pushed himself to cycle as fast as he could. As he got onto the descent, his legs started to relax a bit even though he was going just as quickly as as he allowed the momentum to carry him through. His thoughts started to wonder as they kept replaying what had happened since the start of the trip, from his high hopes at the beginning to how these hopes quickly faded and now almost dashed. Unfortunately for Mark, this lapse in concentration resulted in him missing a rather large protruding tree root in his path. His bike went over it too quickly and he lost control of it. Before he even realised it, he was sent crashing down to the ground, hitting it hard. Luckily his head was well protected with a helmet, but the impact knocked the wind out of him, his arms and legs scraped the rough surface and it hurt. Flustered by the fall, Mark laid on the ground, closing his eyes as he tried to catch his breath.

“Mark! Are you ok? What happened?” The next instant he heard a familiar Spanish accent, clouded with worry. He opened his eyes to see Fernando right by his side, looking and sounding very anxious upon seeing him lying on the ground.

The Australian was totally embarrassed to be seen in this state, and he got up quickly. The movement hurt and he winced.

“Wait! Don’t move!” Fernando tried to stop him from moving for fear of aggravating any injury he might have sustained, but Mark pushed his hand away and sat up.

“I’m fine. Just fell off my bike, nothing serious.” 

‘Are you sure? Do you hurt anywhere?” The Spaniard was still very concerned.

“Just a little scrap, nothing broken. I’m ok!” Mark said a little more forcefully. 

He would usually be more welcoming of his friend’s attention, but the embarrassment from the situation as well as his tensed emotions meant that the attention was something that he would rather do without at that time.

However, Fernando was totally unaware of all that was transpiring within. He persisted, his hand gently holding on to Mark’s arm. “Come, let me have a look…”

“Just sod off, I’m fine!” Mark huffed, jerking his arm away from his hold. 

He realised immediately how harsh his words and actions were, and instantly regretted it. But it was too late.

Fernando looked shocked at Mark’s angry response and was at a loss of words for a few moments. He finally said apologetically, “Sorry, I didn't mean to…umm...as long as you are all right.”

Mark knew that he was the one who should apologise for his rudeness, but before he could say anything, Jenson had caught up with them.

“Geesh, what happened here?” Jenson asked as he saw Mark sitting on the ground.

The Australian took a few breaths to calm himself before explaining his fall. He stood up with Jenson’s help while Fernando picked up his bike and checked to make sure that it was not damaged. After a few minutes of rest, Mark felt sufficiently recovered and they continued on their way down the mountain route. They decided to curtail their riding for the day and drove back to the hotel directly.

Dinner that night was a rather subdued affair at a restaurant in a small town a few miles away. Both Mark and Fernando were rather quiet, with Jenson trying his best to keep a light conversation going. Mark pretended to be concentrating on the food in front of him, but in truth, he was pushing his food around. After the difficult day he had, he was really tired and his emotions were in a flux. His fall did not result in any injury, just a few minor cuts, and he was thankful for that. He was, however, still regretting his harsh response to Fernando, but it was too awkward to bring it up and apologise. At the same time, he was again feeling sad and disappointed at how much things were not going as he had hoped for; and anxious about how helpless he was in the current situation, being unable to articulate his feelings and having to witness his heart’s desire slipping through his grasp. His inner turmoil meant that he did not notice that the Spaniard, who seldom drank, was drinking glass after glass of wine. He only realised it after the dinner plates were cleared away, when he heard Jenson stopping him from ordering a third bottle. 

“Hey, buddy. I think that’s enough for you tonight. You just drank a whole bottle all by yourself! And I thought you didn’t like wine?” Jenson was gently admonishing his teammate.

“The wine here is good! Si?” The Spaniard’s face was quite red and his speech rather incoherent.

“Si, si. But I think it's time we go!” Jenson tried to humour his teammate, at the same time trying to get him to stop drinking. He quickly settled the bill and they left the restaurant.

Jenson was holding Fernando close as he was rather unsteady on his feet, stumbling slightly as he attempted to walk out of the restaurant, and protesting as they were walking to the car, asking for more to drink. As they got to the car, Mark helped Jenson settle him at the back seat, with the Brit joining him at the back so as to take care of him. Mark climbed into the driver’s seat and proceed to drive them back to the hotel. By then, Fernando’s protests had turned to some soft muttering, presumably in Spanish as Mark could not understand much of what he was saying. It occurred to him that this was the first time that he had seen Fernando drunk and he found it odd that he drank so much that night. At the same time, he could not help but think that the Spaniard looked utterly adorable even in his drunken state, with his flushed cheeks and mild protestations. 

Before long, it was all quiet in the car. Mark saw in the rear view mirror that Fernando had fallen asleep, his head was comfortably nestled on Jenson’s shoulders. Jenson’s eyes were also closed and he had such a look of contentment, with a small smile on his lips. They certainly presented a blissful picture, although the feelings that this sight aroused in Mark was anything but blissful. Without realising it, he heaved a sad sigh.

“Mark, you all right?” Jenson opened his eyes and asked.

“Er, yeah, sure!” The Aussie answered quickly.

“Ok, good. I just thought that I heard you sighing.”

Jenson paused for a while, waiting to see if Mark would say anything. When he did not, the Brit changed the topic.

“I wonder what got into this little guy tonight? He is really not much of a drinker.”

“No, he is not. This is the first time I’ve seen him drunk.” 

“Yeah, he doesn't usually drink much, if at all. Though I have been with him when he was drunk a couple of times.”

“Oh, really?” Mark was curious.

“Well, you know, last year was such a horrible year for us on track. So we got together to drown our sorrows. Not often, mind, we have not turned into drunkards, but only once in a while when it was really bad. Though he is such a lightweight that he always gets pissed way before I even feel anything!” Jenson said with a laugh, the fondness for his teammate evident in his tone.

Even though it was said in a light-hearted manner, hearing this revelation made Mark’s heart sunk even lower, as it showed further just how close Jenson had gotten with Fernando. The difficult situation that they faced together last year acted as a catalyst to forge a strong bond between them. It would not be too hard for this closeness to develop into something even deeper, as evident by Jenson’s earlier confession of his intentions towards his teammate; and in all likelihood, Mark thought glumly, such intentions would probably be mutual. 

The drive back to the hotel was short and after they reached their destination, the two of them managed to maneuver their still sleeping friend back to the hotel room. Once inside, Jenson guided his teammate towards his room, telling Mark that he would take care of him. The Australian could only watch as Jenson brought Fernando into his room, with his arms placed protectively around the Spaniard’s waist while he leaned heavily on him. As the door closed behind them, the feeling of being shut out made his mood even more sour than before.

Unsurprisingly, Mark found it hard to get to sleep. He tossed and turned in bed, but remained wide awake. His thoughts kept flipping from totally giving up his much cherished hope, to making his feelings known and fighting to get what he so wanted. He didn't know which was the right way or what to do, as he slowly drifted to an uneasy sleep.

When he woke up the next morning, it was already eight o’clock. He did not feel rested at all, but dragged himself off the bed to get his day started. When he exited his room, he did not see either of his companions. Thinking that they were probably downstairs having breakfast, he headed to the café to join them. 

Once there, he saw Fernando sitting by himself at a table. The Spaniard smiled and waved at Mark.

“Buenos dias!” The Spaniard said brightly, showing no ill effects from his drinking spree the night before.

"Good morning! You’re up early. Went to the gym?” 

Fernando was wearing his running gear and looked like he just had a work out.

“Ah, I went for a jog outside, the weather is good for a run.”

They carried on with the small talk. There was no trace of the awkwardness from last night and Mark started to relax. Fernando looked happy and he was smiling brightly as he described animatedly the beautiful sunrise that he saw during his jog. Looking at him, Mark heart stirred and thought how wonderful it would be if he could only confess his feelings. Feelings that have grown from years of friendship, developed from a gradually growing affection, and if he was honest with himself, to something that felt rather like love. Surely he could not just give him up without even trying? His thoughts were gathering a positive momentum as he started to think about what he could possibly do. Maybe he should talk to Jenson and ask to be able to compete fairly? Perhaps he still stood a chance?

He was brought back from his thoughts as Jenson joined them.

‘Good morning, Mark!” the Brit said cheerfully, “had a good rest last night?”

“Yeah, it was ok. You decided to sleep in for a while? I thought you were not in the room when I woke up.” 

“Nope, Fernando and I went for a jog early to catch the sunrise. Thought he would have told you that. I went up for shower first and now it's time for his turn. Off you go, you sweaty monkey!” He pretend to move to slap his teammate’s bottom as he stood up, with the latter laughingly swatting his hand away as he quickly ran off.

Mark’s earlier positivity had taken a severe hit once he heard that the two of them had in fact gone together for the early morning jog and realised that the sunrise that had so brightened Fernando’s mood was witnessed together with Jenson. Watching this intimate playfulness between them further served to dissipate any hope he might have entertained of having a chance with the Spaniard. He felt utterly defeated. 

Unfortunately, Jenson chose at that time to voice his request for Mark’s assistance.

"You know, mate, about that little favour that I asked of you the other day?” The Brit started hesitatingly.

“With Fernando?” No point to beat around the bush, Mark thought.

“Exactly!’ Jenson looked relieved that Mark was direct, “I finally thought of something, and I need your help with it.”

The Australian merely nodded, indicating for him to go on.

“You see, I’ll like to arrange for a nice dinner with Fernando, umm, just the two of us if you don’t mind.”

“Sure, don’t worry, I can make myself scarce.” Mark tried to make his tone as unaffected as possible. 

"Oh no, I don't mean that, not the entire time anyway. You see, I’ll like to prepare a little surprise for him, and that may take a little time before dinner. I will need your help to be with Nano for a little bit before I arrive, you know, so that it wouldn't be so odd with him sitting alone.”

“So you want me to go with Fernando to the dinner place and keep him company till you come?”

“Yes, something like that. I found this excellent restaurant that’s not too far from here. I will tell Fernando that you two will go for dinner first and I will join you later. That will give me the time to prepare the surprise.”

“And what surprise are you thinking of?” He couldn't help asking.

“Well, it’s going to be something special, and since it's a surprise, I can’t tell you now!”

“Right, sure. So when you arrive with your surprise, I will leave the two of you alone.”

“Yes! If you don’t mind, that is.”

“No, of course not.” Mark assured, although feeling the exact opposite.

There was not much choice for him in any case. It had became obvious that all he had hoped to achieve on this vacation was in vain, he had let his opportunity slipped with his inaction these few years. When he had finally plucked up enough courage to pursue his hopes, whatever he had done had sadly been too little, too late.


	5. A Table For Two

The much dreaded day of the dinner soon arrived. Since that day at breakfast, Mark had felt totally defeated, although he tried his best to appear as normal as possible, tackling the rides with as much spirit as he could muster. Fernando looked to be thoroughly enjoying himself, and it was at least a nice sight to behold the Spaniard’s brilliant smiles riding under the glorious summer sunshine. 

Mark had thought of leaving them once his part in helping Jenson was done, he could not bear to be a genuine third wheel once they were established as a pair. Unfortunately for him, as it was peak travel season, he could only be on the wait list when he tried to change his flight to an early return, so his escape was by no means confirmed.

In the afternoon, Jenson had told both of them that he had made reservations at a restaurant at seven but he would be joining them later as he had something he needed to sort out. Before he left, he reminded them to dress nicely for dinner, since it was a rather posh place. Mark thought he could detect a little nervousness in Fernando when Jenson talked about the dinner plans. It was subtle, but him bitting on his lower lip and the slight blush in his cheeks were not missed by Mark, who through the years had always loved watching the Spaniard, and always found the little changes in his demeanour fascinating and endearing. At that moment though, all it served was to remind him what was to come and the sad situation he himself was in. He could not wait to get over it and hopefully escape as soon as possible. 

The two of them were ready before long. Fernando was dressed in a fitting dark blue dress shirt with black pants, and Mark could not help but admire how handsome he looked. To the Australian, Fernando would look great even in a sack, but on occasions when he did dress up, it always accentuated how perfect he really was. 

“Erm, is there something on my face?” the object of his admiration asked a little self consciously. 

Mark was embarrassed to be caught staring and quickly replied, “Ah, no, nothing! You look good. I…” Fernando smiled brightly on hearing his compliment, making Mark falter in his speech, “er, I think we should get going.”

“You look great too!” the Spaniard returned the compliment somewhat shyly. 

“Yeah? Anything to stop Jense from nagging at me, I guess.” 

Mark wore a smart white shirt and dark grey pants. In truth, he could not care less about dressing up for this occasion, but knowing that it would likely be the last time he had any time to spend alone with Fernando, he could not help but took quite a bit of care in his appearance. In spite of his mood, hearing the praise from the Spaniard made him feel quite pleased, and lifted his spirits a little.

They reached the restaurant right on time, and the maitre d greeted them politely, as they approached him for their reserved table.

“Bonsoir Monsieurs! Mr Jenson Button, and a table for two?” 

“Yes, correct, but I am not Jenson, he will be here later.” Mark stated matter of factly.

“Oh, then there are three of you? We prepared a table for two only, but we can add a place very quickly,” the maitre d offered helpfully as he led them towards their table.

Mark was stumped. Saying a third seat was not necessary since he would be leaving as soon as Jenson arrived would give the game away immediately, although he was not sure if Fernando suspect anything already. He decided it was better to just go along and not say too much, so he let them put in an additional place in between the two seats originally at the elegantly set up table. 

Mark was stood behind Fernando, so he let him get seated first. He was a little surprised that the Spaniard chose to sit on the added seat, but then reasoned that he probably wanted to sit right next to Jenson instead of opposite him per the original seating. That also meant that Mark himself was sat close to Fernando, and due to the relatively small size of the table, he could feel their legs almost brushing. Feeling a bit self-conscious due to this closeness, Mark focused on the menu diligently, although food was far from his mind.

“This is a very nice restaurant.” Fernando broke the silence between them.

“Yes, it is very nice.” Mark shifted his attention from the menu to look around them. The restaurant was indeed very fine, and their table was in a private corner, shielded from other diners. Jenson had certainly made sure of getting the most elegant and conducive setting for his and Fernando’s special night.

Their server was at their table shortly to take their orders for drinks and made recommendations for dinner. Silence again fell after he left, and things were getting a little awkward. Mark really wanted to relax and enjoy the short time he had with Fernando, but he just could not.

The Spaniard was now looking at him with concerned eyes, and chewing on his bottom lip again. He finally sighed softly and spoke, “Mark, is everything ok? You don’t like this place?”

“Huh? Oh, no, I mean, the place is fine.”

"That’s good. You look rather distracted though. Is there anything wrong?”

“No, nothing!” He started to focus on the menu again.

"Ok, there is something wrong with the company then?” Fernando said with a little exasperation.

Mark was surprised by his words and tone but thought perhaps he was missing Jenson already. His irritation rising, he retorted rather sharply, “No, not at all, unless you find the company wanting!” 

“No, it’s not what I mean, I’m sorry it sounded that way, it’s just…” Fernando trailed off, looked rather flustered and sad, his shoulders slumped.

Mark had regretted his harsh reply the instant he said it, and even more so seeing the effect on his companion. This was really not going well at all, he thought, damn, how did he get himself into such a situation?

“Excusez moi, Monsieurs. Here is the wine that you ordered,” the server arrived at that moment to serve their drinks. “Are you ready to order or would you like a few more minutes?”

Mark was not ready at all, since he was not planning to stay for dinner, but he thought they could do something to tide over this awkward moment, and just get the ordering over with anyway. He ordered fish for his main course, even though it was something he did not like. He knew that Jenson liked it though, so thought he would do him a favour and order his dinner, since the Brit should be here soon. He tried to check his phone surreptitiously for any message from Jenson while Fernando was making his order. There was none. Mark groaned inwardly, wondering how long this would take. 

When they were left alone again, Fernando changed the subject and talked about the places that they were at the last few days. It was a safe subject and they at least got the conversation going without the earlier awkwardness. 

As the minutes ticked away and still Jenson did not appear, Mark started to get anxious again. He kept glancing at his phone to see if he had send any message about his arrival, but there was nothing. Finally he made an excuse to go to the toilet, and walked away to phone his friend. He did not manage to get through unfortunately, which irritated him further and had him mouthing a good number of swears at his absent friend. Not wanting to return to Fernando in such an agitated state, he went into the toilet and splashed some water on his face to cool himself down. When he felt calmer, he went back to his seat.

The server was just serving their main courses when he returned. Mark winced when he saw what he had ordered. Just wonderful, now he had to eat something that he detested. The evening could not get any worse, he thought glumly.

“You know, I’ve changed my mind and think I would prefer fish instead of the steak that I’ve ordered. Do you think you want to exchange?” Fernando asked, looking at him with his warm brown eyes.

“Are you sure?” Mark found it a bit odd, as he remembered that Fernando did not like fish, just like him.

“Yeah, I think the fish looks great!” The Spaniard said enthusiastically.

“Erm, ok, if you like.” 

They exchanged their plates and started eating. Mark took a bite of his steak and found that it was done medium rare, just as he liked it. Now he was even more puzzled. He knew that Fernando always liked his steak more well done. Whenever they had dinner together and steak was ordered, he always wanted his done at least medium or even medium well. Mark had often teased him about wasting the meat but the Spaniard would just shrug it off and said he preferred the texture that way. So why was it that something he ordered for himself was done in a way that he didn’t like? It was as if he ordered it for someone else, just like he had ordered fish for Jenson….

“Mark, is the steak ok?” Fernando had noticed that he stopped eating after the first bite, and he seemed to be deep in thought with his brows knitted.

“Yes, it is perfect, done just the way I like it. But it’s odd, because this was yours, and I know you never like it done this way. And I never know you to voluntarily eat fish either.” Mark voiced his puzzlement.

His companion looked like he was caught out, colour rose in his cheeks and he started chewing on his bottom lip again. He then shrugged his shoulders, trying to dismiss it, but in the end just mumbled, “Well, as long as you like it.”

It was only then that Mark fully realised what this was, Fernando was just being really thoughtful and considerate towards him. His friend had somehow noticed that he ordered something that he wouldn’t usually eat, and so got something else he knew Mark would enjoy, pretending to want to exchange because he himself had changed his mind. It was a small thing, but Mark felt so touched by it, with a tad of remorse too, considering that he had been rather short with his companion earlier in the evening. Yet he remained so concerned about him, trying to please him in his own thoughtful way. It was such a sweet and kind gesture, just as the Spaniard had always been towards him in their years as friends. 

Mark felt a comforting sense of warm spreading over him, and he knew that the best way to return the kindness of his friend was to enjoy whatever time that they had together. He resolved to push aside whatever was to come and not to think of anything else but the person who was seated right next to him at that moment.

“Thank you, Nano,” Mark said simply, but his warm tone and smile towards Fernando made it clear that he realised and appreciated what he had done. 

The Spaniard smiled brilliantly and happily tucked into his own food, “Mmm, the fish is good!” 

“Oh really? I’m glad you like fish now. I shall tell Fabri to be sure to add more fish in his plans for your diet for the rest of the season!” Mark teased him with a tinkle in his eye.

“What? No, por favor, no!” Fernando looked totally horrified at this idea.

His look of horror and pleads made the Australian laugh, earning him a glare and a pout. The only effect it caused was for Mark to feel a strong surge of affection towards his companion, his hand involuntarily moving to grasp the Spaniard’s, giving it a warm squeeze. Fernando started at the touch, but did not move his hand, although his cheeks turned a shade of red. Mark on realising what he had done, quickly withdrew his hand, and refocused on his food.

Fortunately, the little interlude did not dampen their spirits, as they slowly picked up on their conversation again. They talked and laughed about a wide range of topics as they ate, the mood between them happy and relaxed, just as it had always been previously, with both of them enjoying each other’s company immensely.

Mark and Fernando were so engrossed with each other that they totally lost track of time. It was only when their server reappeared to clear their plates that Mark looked at his watch and saw that it was well past nine, and someone had still not appeared!

“May I serve your dessert?” the server enquired politely.

“Oh, I didn’t order any.” Mark said, not concerned about desert, but getting worried about Jenson’s absence.

“I did actually,” Fernando told him, and turned to the server, “yes, please.”

“I thought we can have a little treat, given that we have been working so hard on the bike,” the Spaniard continued to explain with a small smile.

“Right, sure, dessert sounds great, but I’m getting worried about Jenson. It’s so late and he hasn't turned up. I think I will give him a call.” Mark held up his phone.

“Oh, Jenson? Erm, you see, Mark, he is not coming,” Fernando was bitting on his bottom lip again.

“What? No, it can’t be, he said this is a special evening and he…” Mark stopped short, still not wanting to give the game away.

“Well, yeah, it is a special evening, but not for him. He is not coming.” The Spaniard repeated.

“I don’t understand. He had planned this, and now he isn’t coming?” Mark was totally confused.

Fernando took a gulp of his wine, and then a deep breath, “Well, I don’t know what he told you about the plan, but there is something that I hope to talk you about.” 

Mark did not expect the turn in their conversation, he was still very confused but he nodded for his friend to continue.

“Mark, I…”Fernando paused to clear his throat, and then decided to take another sip of his wine, “sorry, erm, this is not easy for me.”

The Australian could tell that he was getting very nervous and despite feeling anxious himself, tried to calm him by said soothingly,”It’s alright, mate. Take your time.”

“Right, thank you,” the Spaniard tried again and with a look of determination started, “You see Mark, you have always been such a good friend to me. You are always there to listen to me, talk to me, when I was in difficult times. Even when I was such a total failure the last time I was in a relationship. I probably bored to you to death with all my woes, but all you did was to support me and helped me through the bad times. I know it’s not easy, I’m not one of those interesting or funny guys. All I know is how to drive a car. Outside of one, I don’t have much to say and am very boring. Am just an ugly guy with a funny accent. But yet, you are always so kind to me, always so nice to me, and I’m really glad that we are friends.”

Mark’s heart clenched when he heard Fernando still putting the blame for the failure of his past relationship on himself, and wanted to object to the way he was putting himself down. But Fernando looked so earnest and serious, while Mark himself was getting ever more curious about what message he was trying to convey, so instead of voicing his disagreement, he merely shook his head.

“Ah, sorry! I’m babbling and rambling off.” Fernando took another deep breath, “The thing is, while I am really appreciative of us being friends, through the years, I find there has been some changes. I think…I have hoped actually, that maybe you feel the same way. I was so happy that we got on this trip together. You invited Jenson to join us, which was great of course. Although it meant it wasn’t just the two of us, as I had originally thought it would be. And I know that you have found me quite annoying throughout the trip. But still, I hope that maybe, just maybe, there could be a chance that things can work out?”

Fernando’s cheeks were redder than ever as he concluded his speech; his eyes wide with anxiety, yet filled with hope, as he looked at Mark.

Unfortunately, the Australian was as confused as ever. What was his friend trying to say? The only thing that seemed clear was his mention of Jenson, and that it was great to have him on the trip. So was this a prelude to what was to come?

“Sorry, mate. I don’t get what you mean?”

“Oh,” the Spaniard lowered his head in embarrassment, “what I mean is, erm, that I hope…that is…actually, I like you, and hope we can be more than friends. I hope you feel the same, and somehow we can work things out?” His voiced tapered off to a whisper as he finally made clear how he felt and what he had hoped for.

“What?” Mark was stunned. He did not expect this at all, as he thought Fernando was prepping him on what was to come with Jenson. But this? That Fernando had actually felt the same way as him and wanted to take their relationship further! His heart soared as all his troubles over the last days cleared. His first impulse was to grab Fernando and kiss him senseless. His second was to jump a big victory jump the way he did when he won a race. He felt so happy and so thrilled, even much more so than winning a race. But still he retained some of his senses, and realised he could do neither, given where they were. Which was just as well, since at that moment the server arrived with their dessert.

“Monsieurs, may I present our dessert sampler. It has all the best desserts that we offer, fresh from our patisserie. Enjoy!” The server left a plate of exquisite looking desserts in between them, containing an assortment of tiny pieces of cakes, éclairs, macaroons, a small bowl of crème brûlée and a tiny glass of chocolate mousse. 

Both of them took a moment to look at the plate presented to them, but their minds were elsewhere. For Mark, the best response to Fernando would be by action, meaning carrying out his first impulse, but since that was not possible for now, he had to say something. But there were so many things that he wanted to tell him. Where should he begin?

His hesitation though gave Fernando the wrong impression, who had so far only heard a rather incredulous “What?” as a response. Hearing no further from Mark and thinking the worst, he began to say in a dejected tone, “Well, I guess I have put you in a spot. I understand your position, you don’t have to say anything. I just hope we can remain friends.” 

“Huh? No, Fernando!” Mark blurted out, which only served to further enhance the rejection felt by the Spaniard.

“Oh, I see. I’m very sorry. Maybe I should go,” Fernando whispered sadly, the pain evident in his voice, as he rose from his seat.

“Wait, don’t go please, Nano!” Mark grabbed his hand and held on tightly, pulling him down to his seat again.

"But.." the Spaniard protested.

“Please, Nano? It seems we somehow both have a knack for misunderstanding each other.” Mark was still holding on to Fernando’s hand, as he sat forward in his chair, trying to find the right words to explain. His long legs were now leaning against his companion’s, relishing the contact.

“What do you mean?” The Spaniard was very confused, looking at the hand that was grasping his firmly, he squirmed slightly to try to avoid their legs touching, but to no avail.

"I mean I like you a lot too, and have been having the same hope as you for the longest time!” Mark said directly, glad that he had finally got it out in the open.

“Oh!” Now it was Fernando’s turn to be stunned.

“Now, I hope all the misunderstandings are behind us. Nano, I’m really happy to know how you feel, after all this time. It’s what I had wished so much for!” Mark had to fight the urge to pull him into a tight embrace, to make it all feel more solid and real. 

“Really? But you look so shocked just now, and you said No? I don’t understand at all,” Fernando was still not convinced.

“Sorry, Nano. I was just not expecting it. I thought you were going to tell me that we can only be friends and that you and Jenson are going to be, er, you know, together.” Mark tried to explain although now it sounded rather silly to his own ears.

“What, me and Jenson? How can you think so? We are just teammates and good friends!” Fernando sounded incredulous.

“Well, the two of you are so close. You were always talking to each other, and you look like you enjoy his company much more than mine, and Jenson, well he…” Mark could not bring himself to reveal what Jenson had told him earlier, being still unsure of what the Brit’s intentions were.

“But that’s because I don’t want to get in your way, Mark. You are so quiet on this trip, and sometimes you look like you just want to be on your own. I thought you find me very annoying so I try not to make you angry, although I can’t help it sometimes, like earlier tonight.” Fernando sounded a little sad, recalling the rejection he felt.

“I’m really sorry to make you think that way, Nano. I should have apologised to you all those times when I was rude to you, including tonight. I’m sorry for my poor behaviour. I know you were being nice and concerned about me. It’s just that, seeing you and Jenson so close, it just makes me very, erm, very unhappy.” 

“Wait, you were jealous of me and Jenson?” A small smile started to form on the Spaniard’s lips, as he finally began to understand Mark’s odd behaviour through the trip.

“Hey, don’t you get so smug with me. I was not jealous!” Mark could feel his own cheeks burning as he realised how silly he had been.

Fernando’s smile widened with his denial, “For sure, you’re not jealous?”

“Well, maybe just a little bit,” the Australian reluctantly admitted.

“Actually, you shouldn't be, because it’s Jenson who helped to plan this dinner. When we started talking about this trip, I was full of hope that maybe the time is right for us to start something together. But things didn’t go very well and I was really not sure whether I stood any chance. I mean, I wasn’t even welcomed as your roommate after just one night. After that it got worse, that time when you fell off the bike, you seemed so angry with me. I just thought that you found me really irritating after spending some time together.” Fernando turned a little sad again, recounting what he went through.

“Sorry, Nano. It was really thoughtless of me. I never imagined that you would think that way. Is that why you drank so much that night at dinner?” 

“Well, yes, I was feeling very upset because I thought that all my hopes were dashed and you don’t like me at all.” 

Mark wished so much to be able to fully explain the truth behind his behaviour towards the Spaniard, but he knew he could not as he would first have to talk to Jenson to understand what the situation was with him. Still, he needed to offer some reassurances to Fernando who obviously was hurt by the perceived rejection.

“Oh Nano, I wish I could have seen this earlier. All I can say now is that I was somehow blinded by the jealousy I felt. I need you to understand that it is definitely not because I do not like you, it’s quite the opposite really.” He grasped his hand a little tighter, hoping that the contact would help to show his sincerity.

A small smile returned to the Spaniard, “I understand it now. Still, it was hard to take at that time, especially after being thrown out of your room and then shouted at!” He was deliberately pushing at the guilt button now.

“Ah, but you don’t know the real reason why I have to give you up as a roommate!” Mark decided to play along. 

"Oh, what's the reason?” Fernando asked curiously.

“You see, I could not sleep at all with you on the same bed, because you were seriously too distracting.” The Australian said this with an overtly suggestive tone.

“I don’t believe it. You stayed in the bathroom for so long that I fell asleep waiting for you to come out!” The younger man continued to argue playfully.

“But if you only knew the things that I longed to do to you, you wouldn’t dare fall asleep!” Mark was turning it on full strength, his voice low and rough, his dark eyes looking intently into his companion’s.

This achieved the desired effect, as Fernando’s eyes widened and he swallowed thickly. He didn’t shy away though, instead he leaned in closer and whispered into Mark’s ears, “I can’t wait to find out…”

By then Mark could feel his blood pooling at a rather inconvenient place, and his initial impulse to grab him and kiss him hard was surging again, “Nano, you are really pushing it now.” He almost growled. 

They continued to look deeply into each other’s eyes for the longest time, fingers tightly interlinked and their legs leaned close together. It was as far as they could go, given where they were. Finally both of them had to look away to break the intensity of the moment to recollect themselves. 

“Mmm, the dessert looks wonderful!” Mark turned their attention to the long forgotten plate that was still waiting for them.

“Eh? Oh, si, for sure, it looks great.” Fernando caught on to what Mark was trying to do.

Both of them were glad to have this to distract themselves and happily indulged in the delicious dessert. They made good use of the opportunity to subtly show their affection for the other, taking great delight in feeding each other little spoonfuls of the sweet treats.

When they were almost done with polishing off the plate of dessert, Mark had one more thing that he wanted to clarify.

“Nano, there is one more thing that I’ll like to ask you.”

“Ok, sure, as long as you don’t ask me to go away again,” the Spaniard replied cheekily.

“Not in a million years!’ Mark loved how relaxed and playful Fernando was now, and felt even more thankful then ever that they were able to clear things up between them, but something was still puzzling him. “You mentioned just now that Jenson was the one who planned this. What exactly did he plan?”

“Ok, I thought you would want to know. You see, that night when I had a little too much to drink, I don’t really remember much of what happened after dinner, but Jenson told me that I seemed rather upset and was unsettled the whole night. I guess I might have kept him awake a bit, and he had to take care of me.” Fernando looked a little embarrassed recounting this, “Anyway, I don’t know. The only thing I remember was that I woke up with a headache but Jenson managed to drag me out of bed and insisted that we go for a run, saying it would help with the headache. He was right and the exercise was good. We caught the sunrise after the run, and we started talking. To cut a long story short, he found out why I was so upset and advised me to have a good talk with you. I was not sure whether it would work but he assured me that he will help to plan something so that we can have the chance to clear things up. So here we are, Jenson is right and I have to thank him for his help.” Fernando let out a happy sigh as he finished with his explanation.

Mark did not know what to think after hearing this. He was still confused about what Jenson intended to do. Why did he ask Mark for his help with Fernando, and then later helped them out instead? Was the Brit joking when he told him of his feelings for his teammate? But he looked so sincere that night, and gave no indication of it being a joke thereafter. Mark could not get his head around this, but knew that this was something that he should not bring up with Fernando without talking to Jenson first. The only thing that was clear was that he should indeed be grateful to Jenson for planning this, thereby bringing them together. He also thought that he should probably be annoyed with Jenson, with all that he went through after thinking that he had lost his chance, but he was now so happy that he could not feel the slightest annoyance with anyone.

“Yes, you are right, we should really thank Jenson for his help,” He voiced his agreement which earned him another smile from his companion.

As much as they were enjoying the time together, they knew that they should head back to the hotel soon. Shortly after, they settled the bill and walked out of the restaurant, Mark marvelled at the difference in how he felt. When he came into the restaurant, his heart was full of gloom and dread of what was to come. Now his heart was still full, but full of happiness, hope and if he dare think it, love, for the special person walking right beside him.

When they got back to the hotel, Mark was eager to speak to Jenson. This time, he did not have to spend any effort to track him down, for the Brit was sitting right on the couch in their hotel room, legs crossed, and a smirk on his face when they entered.

“Ah, so you two had a good dinner?”

"Well, yes, after I have spent half the evening waiting and calling you!” Mark said with a slightly accusing tone.

“Geesh, mate. Surely you didn't waste so much time? Man, you are so slow to catch on!” Jenson remarked while looking at the both of them. Fernando had a smile on his face, while Mark was wondering what his words meant.

“No, I, er, you told me that you, umm…” Mark had really wanted to clear things up with Jenson, but was finding it hard with Fernando right in front of them.

“It doesn’t matter what we said before, does it?” Jenson gave him a playful wink, “ What’s important is that you two had a good dinner together and surely the time to talk about what you wanted to talk about?”

The blush on their faces gave Jenson the confirmation that he needed.

“That’s great! Congratulations guys, I am really happy for you,” Jenson said sincerely. “Now, what I need to tell you guys is that, as much I have been enjoying this trip with you two, and as much as I know you both will miss my company, I’m afraid I need to go now.”

At the look of surprise on both his companions’ faces, he continued, “See, my mom and sisters with their families have decided to pop by for a visit and we are going to take a nice river cruise along the Seine. Not as romantic as what you guys will be up to, but hey, family time is always great. So I will have to be off now so that I can join them tomorrow.”

“Oh, but surely you don’t have to leave tonight?” As much as Mark would love to have Fernando all to himself, he didn’t want Jenson to just leave like that. He still hoped to clarify things with him, and to thank him for his help, whatever his original plan was.

“Well, I am all packed and just need a taxi to go back to my place which is just a couple of hours ride away.’ He pointed to his bag, which was packed and sat at the corner.

Both Fernando and Mark tried to persuade him to stay, but they could not. In the end they had to relent and decided to walk him downstairs to bid him goodbye.

 

As they went down to the lobby of the hotel, Fernando offered to go ahead to ask the concierge to help book a taxi. Walking behind, Mark took the opportunity to talk to Jenson.

“Jenson, I’m not sure what’s going on, but first I have to thank you for what you have done for us, ” Mark said earnestly. “Still, mate, can you please tell me what is happening? You told me that you needed my help with Fernando, with the surprise for him over dinner and all that. But in the end you didn’t show and Fernando said that you had actually wanted to help us. I don’t get it, mate, what were you trying to do?”

“Well, it turned out well for you and him, did it not?” Jenson remained evasive.

‘Yes it did, and as I said I am very grateful to you. But what you said that night, did you really mean it? 

“Mark, as I said, it doesn’t really matter now what I said before.” The Brit tried to make light the situation.

“Oh, but it is important. If you were serious, then it only meant that you had to give up…”

“Come on, buddy, of course I was not serious!” Jenson cut him off quickly.

“Really? So you were trying to trick me into getting my act together with Fernando?” Mark was not very convinced.

Jenson merely smiled, and shrugged.

“If that is really the case, I have many choice words for you for making me sweat. But I won’t say any of that, because I think I owe you a debt of gratitude for what you have done, mate.” Mark said sincerely.

"Ha, I will gladly skip your choice words,” Jenson said with a smile which seemed a tad too bright. “As for the gratitude, well, it’s not really necessary either. I just wanted Nano, umm, both of you to be happy.” 

Jenson kept his tone even and light, but Mark heard the small catch in his voice. There was a slight pause in their conversation, Mark saw his eyes looking past him towards the concierge, and there it was, a flicker of emotion in his buddy's blue eyes, ever so slight, but enough to reveal feelings that the owner was trying to conceal. 

“Oh, Jenson. So you were serious with what you told me the other night!” Mark was now in no doubt of the extent to which his friend had helped him.

“What? Of course not!,” Jenson quickly denied. "What do you think, that I actually like that cheeky little monkey? Besides, the little monkey is so stubborn, and had eyes for only one person all along. Obviously he doesn't have great taste! Too bad he doesn't learn from his teammate who happen to have impeccable taste.” 

Jenson said those words with a smirk, but Mark, having been through the experience of the last few days, could well imagine how he felt beneath his calm façade. As they both looked towards the concierge, the aforementioned cheeky monkey turned to look back at them, and smiled a brilliant smile, beckoning them towards him.

At that moment, Mark couldn't find the words to properly express his gratitude towards his friend. He could only envelop him in quick hug, and whispered a sincere word of thanks.

“Hey guys, the taxi is on it’s way” Fernando said as they approached him.

“Right, so enjoy the rest of your trip together. Don’t miss me too much!”

“Ha, don’t worry, we won’t,” the Spaniard said cheerfully. “I think it has been great doing this together. Maybe we can plan for another one next year?”

“Ah, for next year, we should invite one more person to join us. Maybe we can ask Kimi?’ Jenson suggested half jokingly.

“Si, then all we need to say is “Bwoah!” and everything will be understood!” Fernando’s imitation of his former teammate was right on point, and the other two burst out laughing.

“Or, if we prefer a more chatty companion, we can ask Daniel. The gleam from his teeth from his constant smile will surely be bright enough for all the navigating if we want to ride at night!" Mark joined in the fun.

“Good idea, provided he doesn't make us drink from his boot!” Jenson laughed.

‘Ugh, surely he is not so gross?!” Fernando winced as he recalled the other Australian’s antics.

“You never know, he is Australian!” 

“Hey, careful there, mate. Aussies don’t do that all the time, at least not me. I will never make you do that!” Mark smiled fondly at Fernando who returned it with a bright smile.

“Aww, look at that grin on your faces. Ok, break it up guys. Reserve this when you are on your own please!” Jenson rolled his eyes mockingly, and continued, “ Right, so it's bye for now. My cab’s here. See you guys after the summer break!” 

Jenson gave Mark and Fernando each a parting hug. With his teammate, Jenson held on perhaps a little too tightly and too long, at least from what Mark thought he saw. He understood perfectly the reason why and felt all the more thankful to the Brit.

With the farewells done, Jenson turned and walked out of the hotel, giving them a little wave as he left, looking as suave as he ever was. 

 

The remaining two returned to their room, holding hands when they could, otherwise walking close together with their shoulders bumping and arms touching. As they entered into the privacy of their room, they sank down onto the couch. They remained silent as both were still amazed by the turn of events of the evening and were at a loss of words at that moment. 

Mark made a mental note to himself to call to cancel his request for an earlier flight home, although he thought that he would still need to change his flight, but to a later date instead. That could wait though, for now he just wanted to enjoy the first truly private moments together with Fernando. 

The Spaniard had picked up his iPad that was left on the coffee table and started to look at the itinerary that they had originally planned for the next day. He began reading out the trails that they had wanted to explore. Mark turned his head to look at him, noticing how exquisite his lips looked as they moved to form each word, and how his soft curly hair framed the perfect features on his face. He was sitting so close that the Australian could smell the faint musky spicy scent of his cologne. Mark felt a strong stirring in his heart, making him almost giddy with happiness. The understanding between them was still so new, and there were so many things yet to be said. But for now, all he wanted was to be close to Fernando. He scooted sideways, their shoulders touching slightly. The Spaniard sensing the movement, turned and smiled softly at him.

“Hmm, too many things planned. I think we probably need to relook at the schedule, maybe reprioritise a bit,” his smile widened as he looked meaningfully at Mark.

“Or, we could throw out the plans and just be a bit more spontaneous.” Mark returned his look, and moved even closer, his arms enveloping around his companion’s waist, pulling him against his chest

“Si, your idea sounds good!” He let the iPad slip out of his hand as he leaned into Mark, settling comfortably into his hold.

As their lips finally closed the small gap between them, they could taste the sweetness of the future that they had been fantasising for so long. They might had taken some time to get there, but at last they were exactly where they wanted to be. 

The vacation for two that Mark and Fernando had anticipated for the longest time had finally begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s it! Thank you for reading the story, I hope you enjoyed this little ride with the boys. Special thanks to all who had left kudos, and especially to those who left comments, I really love hearing from you and appreciate your comments.
> 
> Against my better judgement, I have started writing a new story. It is a bit different from what I have tried so far, although it still involves my favourite characters. I hope to ~~inflict it upon you~~ share it with you when it is completed.


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